The four-time defending Sonoma County League soccer champion Lady Tigers retained their stranglehold on first place in a tight SCL race, recording a win and a tie in two recent outings.
Analy (11-1-3, 8-0-1) began the stretch with a well-played 1-0 win over visiting El Molino on Jan. 24, and on Friday played second place Petaluma to a scoreless tie.
Claire Brown tallied Analy’s lone goal against the Lions (assist from Lily Ziemer), while defenders Isabel Housman, Tannin Klunis, Macee Wacholz and Megan Lucas all played well against the Trojans.
“It was a real barn burner,” Analy coach Brittney Briones said of the Petaluma match. “We had amazing play from our backline and both teams had their chances. We hit the crossbar and narrowly missed a couple corners. The girls dug deep and we got to see their hearts, they really played well.”
At the start of play this week, the Tigers were a full game up on second place Petaluma in the standings, with five matches left on the league schedule. Analy will start the final third of the SCL season on Jan. 29 (after press time) at Elsie Allen, followed by a Jan. 31 home clash with Piner (7 p.m.).
Meanwhile the Lions (5-9, 3-6) continued to give opponents all they can handle, following up the 1-0 loss to the Tigers with a 3-0 setback at Sonoma Valley.
“We played very well against Analy and the girls battled well,” El Mo coach Emily Farrant reported. “The Sonoma game was a bit tougher as we didn’t have any subs. We’ve got lots of injuries at the moment but we’re plugging through.”
The Lions will embark on a three-game week, starting on Jan. 29 at Petaluma, followed by home and away dates with Elsie Allen (Jan. 31, 6 p.m.) and Piner (Feb. 2, 3 p.m.).
